Steamboat Willie

If you want a push- along toy, this isn't it: look at the age if most of us who (can afford to) buy this thing. That being said, I had no problems with the moving smokestacks- although I was a little nervous about pushing them into place onto the mechanism. There are a lot of very interesting build techniques in this- Mr Ho has shown a lot of imagination to convert a fan idea into a really good build that is acceptable to LEGO and Disney and is a pretty good representation of a steam tug as well. It's also an interactive work of art: all of the bright colours are hidden step by step as the build progresses. The monochrome finish works really well. more less

This is such a cool-looking set that will be really fun for older Disney fans and collectors to build and display. We like that there are moving parts so you can pretend to sail Mickey and Minnie just like in the movie. If you're a Disney fan and you want to build a piece of Disney history, then this is the LEGO set for you. more less

Just when you think LEGO has done it all, they come out with something else so cool. Who would have thought a black and white Steamboat Willie kit would be created. Mickey Mouse... Disney... this one has a lot of nostalgic history combined with modern LEGO bricks. It makes for a fun and unique LEGO build. 751 pieces to make for a single or multi-day challenge. It appeals to all age ranges 10 and up. I think it may be safe to say 7 and up. Whimsical, Fantasy, Nostalgia, Cute... They all come to mind. A prime Collector's set If you're into that. 5 stars! more less

After building the model, I must say that I'm amazed, and I can only recommend it to every LEGO® fan, builder, and collector. It's a nice display piece, the kids can play with it, and the building experience is also amazing and hard enough for adult fans of LEGO®! more less

Would I buy it for £79.99? Well personally the set still doesn't really capture my own interests and there is not enough here for someone who loves new elements and pretty colours. I missed colours, so sadly I don't think the black-and-white colour scheme is for me but it is a fine looking set. Having said that, there are plenty of Disney fans out there and many more will appreciate the effort to improve upon the submission and make a very nice memento of a famous mouse and his cartoon history. more less

After the slight disappointment of 21316 The Flintstones being significantly inferior to the original Ideas submission, that's certainly not the case here. It's bigger and better in every way, and far more detailed and functional. Designer John Ho has done an admirable job of turning a lacklustre submission into a model that's appealing and desirable. It's a very decent model but something just does not look right to me and that of course is that it's devoid of colour. I get that it's based on a black-and-white cartoon so has to be, but I can't help wondering how much more attractive it would look had it been built with a normal palette of hues. more less

The finished model is bigger than you might expect, especially if you'd seen the microscale design of the original Ideas project. The turning paddles and moving smokestacks are good fun, and if you're a Disney fan then you'll appreciate how closely the model fits with the classic cartoon source material, and you're sure to want to display it. more less

If the LEGO Disney theme was aimed at AFOLs, this is what it would be. It is hard to imagine what more a Disney fan could want from a set based on Steamboat Willie, with the designers having taken the unorthodox step of making a model bigger than the original fan design. This set is a serious contender for the best of the year – high praise in a year that has started with The LEGO Movie 2 theme already firing on all cylinders. more less

The LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie (21317) is a very good set and I do appreciate the addition details that put in to enhance the original project submission. If LEGO released the set as what was proposed, it would've been the smallest set in the LEGO Ideas line with little to no playability and I'm happy that didn't happen. more less